Improvement in meat-choppers



(z5.) WILLIAM 'PQ'. F.ATTON.

lmprovegmen't ien.-Meat Chopper.

l 122,051. Patented Dec.`19, 18`71 '.j4

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WILLIAM P. PArroN, or HAREIsBUEo., PENNSYLVANIA, Assis-NOE 0E ONE; HALEHrs Ere-Hr 'ro JAMEs n. PIPER, 0E sAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN MEAT-CHOPPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,051, dated December19, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. PATTON, of the city of Harrisburg, countyof Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Meat-Choppers; and I hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being madeto the accompanying drawing and the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of this invention is to produce a family meat or vegetablechopping-machine that can be made cheaply, be of compact form, cutrapidly, be easy to operate, simple in construction, and easy todisconnect in order to remove the chopped meat and clean the machine.

In the drawing, Figure l represents a side elevation of the device. Fig.2 is a front elevation of the same. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are details ofthe working parts. Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged views of some parts.

In Figs. 4 and 2 the base-ring is shown at F. This is an annular ring ofmetal, having a flange turned up at its outer edge, as shown in Fig. 2,for the purpose of retaining in place the wooden chopping-block W, thatfits into the recess thus formed. Upon the outside of the ring F apiece, g, is cast. This piece has a small iange turned up on each of itsside edges, and answers as a base upon which the upright piece A astands, and to which it is rigidly attached by rivets or other suitablemethod, as seen at g,'Figs. l and 4. The upright piece A a is designedto act as a supportin g-frame, and carries the operating mechanism ofthe machine. As will be observed, it consists of two parts or pieces, A,the lower part, and a, the upper part, connected together by a lap-rulejoint, as is shown in Fig. 1. This method of constructionpermits theupper part a to be turned back at right angles to the part A, ifdesired; but is prevented from moving forward out of a vertical line bythe abutting shoulders of the rule-joint. Both the pieces Aal have ribsor flan ges formed on their front edges, to obtain suitable lightnessand strength, their transverse section being of a T-form, as shown at A,Fig. 4. Upon the upper part a, a lip or projecting piece, 4, is formed,that extends downward in contact with the side of the piece A. A holefor the reception of a dowel-pin is drilled through the lip 4 and pieceA, so that, upon the insertion of a wire pin, the parts A a are rigidlysecured together. The upper piece A has its upper part curved so as toproject forward a proper distance, and terminates in a flattened boss,5. This upper projecting part of a is on aline parallel with the planeof the base-ring F. Another projecting piece, ab, is formed on the piecea., and terminates in a flattened boss, 6. (See Fig. 1.) The piece .e isconnected to the upper projecting part of a by the curved brace t. Aboutthe center of this brace a boss, Z, is formed. It is designed to assistin supporting the shaft d, a hole of proper size perforating it for thereception of the said shaft. A similar boss is formed in the uprightportion of the piece a, at a point opposite the boss Z. This supportsthe outer end of shaft d. (See Fig. l.) Upon the inner end of shaft (l aheavyrimmed crankwheel, b, is rigidly fastened. A transverse section ofthe same is shown in Fig. 5. A projecting boss is formed on its innerface through which the shaft d passes, this boss ruuning against theface of the boss Z. The rim of the wheel bis rounded, and is made tooverhang on the side next the curved brace t, so as to leave a planeface or surface on the front side. The bosses 5 6 are perforated throughtheir center with holes of proper size, to receive the verticalshaft orrod C. This shaft C carries the choppingknife e upon its lower end, andthe length of the projecting pieces th at are furnished with the bosses5 6 must be proportioned to the s ize of the base-ring F, so as to bringthe shaft C directly in the center of the chopping-block W, that isbedded in said ring.

The manner of connecting the cutting-knife e to the shaft C is asfollows: A thread is cut on the lower end of shaft C for theaccommodation ofthe threaded lug 0. (See Figs. 2 and 8.) This lu g has around shank formed on its side, that is designed to neatly fit a holecentrally drilled in the k11ife-stockn,and is secured in place on saidknife-stock by riveting or by a nut, as may be preferred. It isessential that the lug 0 be permitted to turn in the knife-stock a; atthe same time a secure connection is maintained therewith. The knife cis made preferably' of thin steel-plate, and is rigidly secured byriveting to the stock n, as shown in Fig. 8. A jam-nut, S, is provided,

and is placed on the threaded part of sha-ft C, so

as to bear against the top face of the lug O. It

is constructed with a flange or projection on its upper part, thatoverhangs the knife-stock n in such a manner as to permit said stock tooscillate slightly on the lug O. The Lipper end of the shaft C isreduced in its body so as to form a shoulder upon which the block Vrests, said block being drilled to fit the reduced part in such manneras to permit the shaft C to turn in it. A threaded hole is formed in theblock V at right angles to the hole through which the shaft C passes.AThe form of the top of the block is shown in a view given at Fig. 6.The shaft C is connected to the crank-wheel b by a pitman, c c. Thispitman is given a yokeform, as shown in Fig. 2. The boss 5 of the upperprojection of piece@ passes through the yoke-connection c c, and sopermits the upper end of said yoke-connection to be secured by aset-screw, l,to the block V, (see Fig. 1,) and also in the enlarged viewgiven at Fig. 9. A piece of leather is placed between the end of theset-screw l and the body ofthe shaft C, against which the said screw isforced with a proper pressure for a purpose that will be hereaftershown. Upon the upper end of the shaft C, immediately above the block V,the ratchetwheel D is securely fastened. A boss, centrally formed andprojecting` from its lower face, bears against the upper face of theblock V without preventing the rotation of the shaft C. The upper faceof the ratchet-wheel D has ratchet-teeth of proper size cut around` itsedge, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 6. The yoked pitman c c has an arch,fr, formed on its upper part, as seen in Figs. l and 2. This arch r isintended to carry the pawl Im, (see Fig. 2,) and as said arch projects aproper distance above the upper face of the ratchetwheel D, and is in aline with its outer edge, it is evident that the pawl m will properlymesh into the ratchet-teeth. The free end ofthe pawl m is curved up, asshown in Fig. 2. A hook or projection is also formed on the arch r,immediately below it so that a continuous gum-band spring, 2, can bestretched over the projection and the end of the pawl, and thus holdsaid pawl m in yielding connection with the teeth of the wheel D. Thelower end ofthe pitman c c is attached to the crank-wheel b by athreaded setscrew passing through a hole in the pitman and screwingtightly in the wheel at a proper distance from its center, to give` theshaft C the proper movement. A crank-handle, G, is secured to the end ofthe shaft d, that projects through the boss in the part a, of theupright frame A a, and is designed to communicate motion to the machine.The base-ring F has a tin-plate or sheet metal ring formed on or placedover it, as shown in Figs. l and 2. Said ring or hoop B constitutes thecontaining-vessel in which is placed the meat or vegetables to bechopped. It should be of a proportionate height, and being merely forceddown' over the outside of the ring F, can be easily removed when it isrequired.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Meat or vegetables beingplaced in the tub B, the handle of the machine is revolved; thecrankwheel b causes the pitman cto communicate aV vertical reciprocatorymotion to the shaft C, and consequently to the knife e. Every stroke ofthe pitman c c oscillates the arch r, above the setscrew l, that pointbeing the center of motion or fnlcrum of said arch, and as the pawl m ispivoted above the screw 1, it is caused to vibrate and take a tooth inthe ratchet-wheel D, and thus cause a limited axial movement of theshaft C at every revolution of the crank-wheel b. The feed or rotativemovement of the knife, as just described, can be made to take placeeither when the knife is at the bottom of the tub B, or at the momentwhen it has attained its full elevation, by simply turning the crank Gveither toward or frgin the operator. The machine works best when thefeed movement is effected above or at the top of its stroke. The feedingcan be changed to allow the machine to be run either toward or from theoperator, and change on the upper center, by cutting the teeth of theratchet-wheel either right or left-handed, (that is, sloped in eitherdirection.) The pawl must be pivoted on either side of the arch to suitthe relative cut of the teeth. The set-screw l bearing against theleather plug forces it against the shaft C, and thus produces therequisite friction to hold the shaft C stationary while the pawl ismoving back to take a tooth in the wheel D. If the machine is rotated tofeed when the knife is at the top of its stroke, the pawl changes fromone tooth of the wheel to the other. When the knife is down on thechopping-block W, the bite of the knife on the block thus aids to holdthe shaft from moving while the pawl is changing teeth. The part a ofthe upright frame A can be swung back clear of the tub B by placing theknife e on the upper center, thus permitting the contents of the tub tobe removed without hindrance. By removing the tin ring, thechopping-block can be scraped and properly cleaned without trouble.

The oscillation of the knife e on the lug O is provided to insure theknife coming down squarely on the block in case said block should becomeuneven by use, or the knife be ground away more at one end than theother. It also facilitates the cheap construction of the machine, as itdispenses with any critical adjustment of the upright part A a in regardto the chopping-block W, which would he necessary if the knife wasrigidly secured at a right angle to the shaft C.

Having given a full, clear, and exact description of my invention, andpointed out its utility, what I claim as new, of my invention, anddesire -to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s-

l. The construction of the frame-pieceAa, with the rule -joint hereinshown and described, and for the purpose specified.

2. In a meat-chopper, the yoke-pitman c c, when it is constructed andcombined with the shaft C, block V, connecting-pin l, crank-wheel b,shaft el, frame-piece a, and crank G, so as to operate the shaft Cvertically, as herein described.

3. The combination of the shaft C and knife e with the hinged-frame A a,ratchet-wheel D, blockV V, pawl m, yoke-pitman c, crank-Wheel b, and itsblock V, shaft C, and oscillating knife e, substansha-ft d, t0 give anaxial rotative motion to the tially as and for the purpose. set forth.knife-shaft O, substantially as shown, und for the WM. P. PATTON. [L.8.] purpose specified.

4. The combination of the. base-ring F, frame Witnesses: A a,crank-Wheel b, shaft d, yoke-pitman c, arch- ROBERT A. JOHNSTON, piecei", and pawl m, with the ratchet-wheel D, R. J. FLEMING. (25)

